One of the agents I work with represents bank foreclosures. She is responsible for making contact with the owner/current tenant during the eviction process. While she has many stories to tell.. here is just one about a little kitty who was left behind.

Despite months of warning before a foreclosure, many desperate homeowners run out the clock hoping to forestall an eviction. Then they panic, particularly if they are moving in with relatives or to an apartment or home where pets are not permitted.

We were concerned that the resident was not planning on taking the pet. Upon the key exchange, the house was emptied, the cat food was gone and the agent didn’t see the cat… Initially. On subsequent visits to the property by myself, an appraiser and a repairman, a little cat would greet visitors on the porch.

Our repairman had a chat with some of the neighbors who indicated that, yes, the cat had been abandoned. I visited the property a couple more times with food and to see if the kitty was friendly and maybe willing to be adopted. She sure appreciated the food!

I loaded a crate in my car and went out to the home the following day. But wait! Someone else had placed a crate on the front deck with food and water! Maybe the previous resident realized the error of their ways and came back for their beloved pet. Maybe someone else was trying to catch the cat. So I put a note on the crate with my name and number.

A day or so later I received a call from Therese. This lovely neighbor heard the cat crying & meowing. She brought food, water and shelter. She wasn’t in the position to adopt another pet, but offered to help me catch the cat.

It’s cold, it’s dark, it’s wet. It’s mid-November in Seattle. It’s only going to get colder and wetter. I grabbed my crate & lured the cat in with tempting morsels and then had a very noisy ride home. Meow -Ow! Yow! Meow!... all the way home. I wasn’t so sure this was going to work out.

I brought the crate in and set it in the middle of the living room as I closed the doors to the bedrooms, bathroom and laundry room. I set out a litter box, food and water.

Then I opened the crate door. After a minute or two, the cat slunk out with it’s tail dragging and belly low to the floor and crept out to investigate. Eventually, the tail got a little higher as the cat felt bolder in checking out these new surroundings. I just sat back and let the cat do it’s cat thing and tried to ignore it as best I could. By the end of the evening, the cat jumped up on the couch, snuggled in for pets and purr’d. A lot… I mean so much that it drooled!

This cat is fortunate and seems to be incredibly happy to have found a new home.

However, she probably won’t be so happy to visit the vet this week! Vets are great people – I explained the foreclosure abandonment situation and the neighborhood vet offered a free cat check up – I’ll just have to pay for the vaccination costs.

People, DO NOT ABANDON YOUR PETS!!

So many abandoned pets face dire circumstances with no access to water, food or proper shelter. It is so utterly neglectful and cruel to leave your pet behind to face starvation, exposure or other predatory animals. There are alternatives. Find a friend, neighbor or relative who is willing to adopt your cat, dog, iguana or parakeet. There are no-kill shelters in most cities that will take your pets and try to re-home them.

If you need help caring for your animals or would like to add a furry, feathered or scaled family member, visit my resource list of some fabulous local non-profits and shelters that can help!